This is the most important work in the study of hard bop as a specific genre and the basis for much of the research done on this site. It is a highly readable and informative work. The late Mr. Rosenthal brought not only his knowledge of the music but his love of jazz to this book and it shows. For anyone interested in knowing more about this subject, this is a must read.

Jazz Books:

Jazz First Books: This has only recently come to my attention, a great site for buying and selling used, out of print, and rare books on jazz. Ted Hodgetts at jazzfirstbooks.com has a great store that deals with every kind of book on jazz, from discographies and biographies, to jazz photography and more. Well worth a look.

Jazz History:

Thus far, only two sites on the history of jazz have been found that merit close attention. The focus here is on specific styles/genres/eras of jazz, and both of these web sites are outstanding.

Jazz.com: A brand new site, Jazz.com helmed by the great jazz writer Ted Gioia, is now up and running and has a lot of exciting potential as a resource for all styles of jazz, music reviews and history. Check it out.

Traditional Jazz: For information about jazz before the swing era, The Red Hot Jazz Archive is outstanding. A tremendous resource for information, music, and essays about the early jazz pioneers.

Big Bands: The exhaustive Big Band Database is an incredible source for information about swing bands of the 30s and 40s in Europe, Canada, and the U.S.

Jazz Radio (internet):

Illisounds Podcasts: Our new favorite web site, Ross Lawson has produced over a hundred quality shows spanning nearly every type of jazz. Illisounds Podcasts is well worth checking out.

Pandora.com: Pandora radio has lots of great jazz, all programed by the user to create a radio station that plays the music you want to hear. Blue Note, Prestige, all the greats in one place . . . and no commercials! Pandora Radio

SkyJazz.com: Offering several styles and new programs every week, SkyJazz is a good place to start. Also, check out Fred W. Harris's very generous commentary about the Hard Bop Homepage.

Jazz journalist Paul Blair has resumed his jazz-focused guiding walking tours in various Manhattan neighborhoods, with a special focus on Harlem's rich musical history. The site also contains dozens of links to New York jazz venues plus an abundance of other information useful to NYC visitors.